The Cad and the Co-Ed: Secret Baby Sports Romance (Rugby Book 3)

The cad is Bryan Leech, a star rugby player whose problem with alcohol has gotten him into innumerable one-night stands and worse problems, such as being taken for large sums of money by unscrupulous women looking for a meal-ticket. Drinking himself into a stupor leads to nights that he has no memory of, one of which is with Eilish Cassidy.Eilish has been a fan of Bryan since girlhood, and even though her cousin Sean has warned her to stay away from Bryan, she can’t resist him. But it doesn’t end happily, and it leads to those words which I’m not really a fan of, “five years later.”Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait literally five years for the story to continue, but I felt all the pain of the characters who did. Bryan is a recovering alcoholic, and he’s doing pretty well at it. Eilish is back in Ireland after completing her degree in the States. She’s grown up and wiser now, but after all this time, Bryan is still firmly embedded in her heart. The humorous writing that Penny Reid brings in makes this story fun to read, even with the somewhat somber story content. Another great book for Reid/Cosway fans.I really want to know how to pronounce Eilish correctly with an Irish accent. In my head, all I can come up with is a cross between delish and eyelash.

3.5 stars — There were so many things I truly enjoyed about this story, but also a few things that were a bit meh.I actually genuinely liked both Eilish and Bryan on the whole. They were characters that had both made mistakes or rather were living with the consequences of their decisions. The problem is that there was a crapton of miscommunication in this one, and that does tend to annoy the living crap out of me.Eilish frustrated the hell out of me. There were so many things I loved and admired about her (her parenting, the love she had for Patrick, her genuine passion for her job). But then there was the rest. I mean, she was super unprofessional in this book, and I’m not talking about the sex in the room. She actively avoided doing her job because she was avoiding Bryan, and that’s just so not cool. And then there was her wishy washy back and forthness. I guess I honestly just didn’t get to know her and her hangups enough for me to understand her ridiculous level of lack of trust, and how she kept backtracking. I mean, I got where the authors were trying to go, I just didn’t go with them or something.Bryan frustrated me as well, just perhaps not quite as much. I LOVED seeing the aftermath of an addict trying to live a sober life. It generally felt very real. Especially all the little roadblocks he would come across. I appreciated that he did lean on his sponsor, and that it wasn’t all just easy peasy, but that he genuinely didn’t want to go back to that life. And he had his own hangups and back and forth going on. I mean really, these two were just too messed up to function.Thank frick for Sean. I still don’t know if I want to read his story, but he was the coolest freaking cousin. I loved how unique he was, and how much you could tell he genuinely cared for Eilish and her wellbeing. And not just Eilish, but his nephew as well. It was sweet and adorable.One of the highlights of this story for me was seeing how excited Bryan was about becoming a Dad. It was a refreshing reaction in a secret pregnancy book. I felt all the emotions over those bits of the story.Their chemistry was pretty solid, though with all the other crap going on, it was hard to get completely invested.As an aside, I’m super duper glad I read book 4 before this one, because otherwise I might not have wanted to read Josey’s book based on her behavior in this one, and I LOVED her!Huh. I started this thinking 4 stars…now I’m down to 3.5 rounded up, and starting to wonder if I should round down. Despite this strange review, I really did enjoy this book, and it sucked me in and had me staying up late to finish it. So despite not having as many good things to say, I’m sticking with my gut and rounding up.

The Rugby series just gets better and better with each book. A delightful page turner I devoured in one day.Cad? What Cad? I forgot all about the Cad around the second or third chapter. Having loved the first two books in the Rugby series, I was keen to read Eilish Cassidy's story and found a page turner that had me smiling more than I can recall while reading a book in a long time. I can't recommend this series highly enough. It is fresh, well-paced and downright entertaining.I was a little apprehensive reading about Bryan aka the Cad after what we learned about him earlier in the series, and I didn't like the idea of him being the one for Eilish. My fears were soon averted as Bryan turned out to be an utterly charming guy, not to mention thoughtful and forgiving! It was easy to see how a young impressionable girl became so swept up in the moment and how quickly she came crashing down from her dream night.Eilish is a single mother, a proud and independent young lady who for the last four years had educated herself while raising her beautiful son, Patrick. A change in circumstances forced her to return to Ireland and accept the help of her cousin to get back on her feet again. Since the arrival of her son, she has relished in devoting her time to him, being the mother to him she never had.Her stoic silence about sharing the news of Patrick's existence to Bryan was put to the test when Eilish takes a position as a physiotherapist with the rugby team. Being so close to Bryan was overwhelming. Despite being ridden with guilt, she held her secret tight, not wanting to lose her precious son. Their chemistry was undeniable, but she wrote it off as lust and Bryan was not ready for a relationship, especially with his team mate's cousin. His years of drinking had impacted on his memory, and that included ever having met Eilish and fathering their child.There was lots of beautiful moments and the banter between the teammates, and when they got together, it was awesome. The Twitter posts shared at the beginning of each chapter illustrated their comradery as well as the scenes where they featured. Witty and entertaining, they added another dimension to the characters while not impacting on the flow of the story.The Cad and the Co-Ed is a story of broken trust and how not all breaks can be mended. Each book in the Rugby series carries the same upbeat tone as they cover difficult issues with sensitive and heartfelt storytelling. Be ready for a few twists. There's no smooth sailing for a girl who has no time to waste on anything other than the gift of her son. There is so much I loved about this story, as was evident from my highlighting and notes on situations that continued right through to the end of the kickass epilogue.

Bryan is a star rugby player and he is now a recovering alcoholic. His memory when he was drinking was non existent so the fact that he had met the new physio before didnt compute although he certainly liked what he saw. Eilish had a crush on Bryan forever and so when he asked her to dance at a family wedding she didnt say no and when he took her virginity later that night it was lovely until the morning came and he was dismissive to the point of being rude. She fled. Four years on and she is now one of the physios for his team and he wants to get to know her but she avoids him. She needs to tell him about their son and when he finds out he is stunned that he lost the special moment with her. He loves Patrick and he tries hard to break down Eilish and her very stubborn ways. Another great story.

I loved this book, it was humorous without trying, it was clever and it had emotions.This was my first book in this series and different from what I expected, but very good.Eilish is everything Bryan isn't used to, but there is something familiar about her, she is everything Bryan wants, but shouldn't be allowed yet, but he can't forget Eilish.You see Bryan and Eilish have history, but Bryan can't remember and Eilish can't forget. Bryan is a recovering alcoholic who has got himself and his career back on track, so now might be the perfect time for Eilish to tell him about what happened that night five years ago.Things never run smoothly or do they? Can they fight the burning attraction and fight their insecurities and be a family?I loved all the characters in this book, it was a perfect mix and it worked in making this a perfect read and making me want to read more.

Loved. Every. Page.I knew it would be good.....it was excellent. (Totally worth the sleep deprivation)I knew it would be funny....it was hilarious. (Made me laugh so hard I snorted in a most unfetching manner)I knew it would be sexy.....Is it hot in here???I hoped I would love it.....Yep. More than loved Eilish and Bryan's story.The whole series has been up there in the echelons of my favourite books because the stories are so well written , charming, funny, sexy and enjoyable. Each can be read as a standalone but you're missing out if you don't read the others.Eilish is an absolutely cracking heroine. Her vulnerability made my heart ache for her but I loved that she had such strength too. Bryan...oh Bryan. He was very charming and likeable and his honesty is refreshing. They are both quite quirky and I found myself laughing out loud at some of their interactions.The secondary characters are strong in this story. Sean, cousin of Eilish and Bryan's team mate, is adorable. So loyal and comical. His story is The Player and The Pixie but he truly shines in this book too. Patrick is just the sweetest little boy - I always think it is tricky to write children's characters in adult books - they can come across as too saccharine at times - but Patrick is adorable and endearing.Gorgeous, solid 5 star read. Emotional at times -I actually found myself doing a cheer out loud for Eilish at one point...my own little 'GO GIRL' moment! If you want a funny, sexy read that will poke you in the heart now and then, read this book. If you are a tad obsessed with rugby, read this book. Even if you know nothing about rugby, who wouldn't want to read a gorgeous love story?HEA? Yes *beams ear to ear*Cheating? No

Nicole @ Emerald Book ReviewsPenny and LH.'s books; their symphony of combined words; their unpredictable and unusual characters- all have this innate power to take the hopeless, the untrustworthy and the careless within and give it the ability to transform into something that is beautifully complex and has tremendous integrity and in The Cad and the Co-Ed they have harnessed this literary power and given readers another delightful addition to their popular and highly acclaimed Rugby series.The Cad and the Co-Ed was a story that I had reservations about. I read the blurb before release and admittedly wondered how they were ever going to reform someone as destructive and self-serving as Bryan. As beautiful as he may have been on the outside, he still perpetuated the playboy image by being remote, selfish, cavalier and opportunistic when it came to women. However, in the Cad and the Co-Ed we are introduced to Bryan as he is dealing with the pain, confusion, humiliation and ultimately the consequences that his past actions have had on him and those around him. Changed and altered, full of mixed emotions and a brand new outlook on life, Bryan comes across as more beautiful and confident than any male protagonist in the literary world because he is very human, flawed and trying to make amends."There were no villains. Just two misguided people colliding and making something beautiful. I might've been scared at the time, but I wouldn't trade Patrick for the world. He's my everything."Eilish is such a graceful but complicated heroine - the best kind to meet. Suffering from a multitude of perceived sins, she spends her days mired in mammy-hood, forgoing any social life or fun. Eilish is witty, intelligent, hard-working and full of so much unconditional love for her son, displaying so much warmth and compassion and understanding for everyone around her that her character shines off the page, and when combined with the explosive heat and chemistry she shares with Bryan, any scene that they share immediately imprints on the brain and creates a tsunami of butterfly-inducing sighs.The writing is as exceptional and impeccable as always, with fun and sharp banter from the boys and supporting characters as well as a plot that is so fun and romantic that Gary Marshall could have made a movie out of it. Penny and LH are a formidable writing team, giving readers books with heart and hope and characters with flaws and feeling, so if you like to read a more realistic, heartwarming and complex love story- or you love hot sex scenes, comedy and plots with a bit of a dramatic flair- then start reading the Rugby series today. You won't regret it.

I like sports romances. I like plucky single mother heroines, but I lost hope in this book when the recovering alcoholic Irish rugby hero showed off his ancient symbolic Mongolian tattoo???I would recommend "the wall of Winnipeg and me" by Mariana Zapata instead.